Summary of the Victims Fund Financial Assistance to Attend a Parole Board of Canada Hearing Privacy Impact Assessment
Description
One of the important entitlements of victims of crime in Canada is the opportunity to attend hearings conducted by the Parole Board of Canada (PBC). Victims may attend hearings as observers or to present a victim impact statement. However, attending PBC hearings often involves travel and accommodation away from home.
Through the Victims Fund, financial assistance is offered to registered victims who wish to attend hearings for the offender who harmed them in order to help victims participate more fully in the criminal justice system. Financial assistance is also available for a support person to accompany registered victims to Parole Board hearings or to provide child or dependent care to enable victims to attend hearings. In order to attend, victims and support persons must be an adult over the age of 18 years of age, and the support person must be chosen by the registered victim and approved by the Parole Board of Canada. Support persons may include relatives, friends or victim service workers.
Why a privacy impact assessment was completed
Conducting a PIA for the Financial Assistance for Attending Parole Board of Canada Hearings component of the Victims Fund is important because the activity involves the collection and use of sensitive personal information about victims of crime, their support persons, and in some cases their family members. To provide travel funding assistance, the program requires biographical and financial information, all of which must be carefully safeguarded. Given that this information relates to individuals who may be experiencing trauma or distress, any unauthorized disclosure or misuse could have significant personal impacts. In addition, the program requires coordination between the Department of Justice and the Parole Board of Canada, which increases the risk of over-collection, improper sharing, or cross-institutional access to personal information. Completing a PIA ensures that privacy risks are identified and mitigated, demonstrates compliance with the Privacy Act and Treasury Board policy requirements, and strengthens public trust by ensuring that sensitive information is collected minimally, stored securely, and handled with respect for the dignity and well-being of participants
Additional information
- For proper use and disclosure, the use of personal information in reports is properly aggregated in order to limit any re-identification.
- Internal audit processes were created in order to monitor proper access of folders in the Digital Workspace (SharePoint).
Outstanding risks that are anticipated to be mitigated in the coming months include:
- Publishing the new personal information bank.
- Updating the privacy notice statement and consent statement.
- Updating online form to properly capture consent.
- Creating internal procedures to properly document consent.
- Creating an information sharing arrangement with PBC.
- Training staff on proper handling of personal information.
Related personal information banks
Personal Information Bank:
- JUS PPU 035 (not yet registered with Treasury Board Secretariat)
Class of Record:
For more information about this privacy impact assessment
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